Portable derrick



Oct. 20, 19.42. R. H. CROW PORTABLE DERRICK 2 'shee'ts- -shset 1 Filed Nov. 20, -19:59

H .m A 0m. 2.

Patented Oct. 20,1942

PORTABLE DERRICK Ronald Hermon Crow, Shreveport, La., assignmto The J. B. Beaird Corporation, Shreveport,

L'a., a corporation of Louisiana.

4 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in portable derricks.

It has been found that an important need of the petroleum industry is a low cost derrick. It is, therefore, one object of'this invention to provide an improved derrick which has a small base area, and consequently a low initial cost. 7

Another object of this invention is to provide 7 an improved portable derrick which may be assembled in a horizontal position on the ground, and then raised to a vertical or operating position.

An important object of this invention is to provide an improved portable derrick which may be transported from location to location, and may be raised into position or lowered by means of a gin pole or other similar device.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved derrick which is soconstructed as to allow drill pipe to be drawn into a vertical positionwithin said derrick, whether the drill pipe be in single length or in sections.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved derrick which has means intermediate its ends whereby tubing, casing, or any other material of suitable length that is used in drilling a well, may be racked outside of the derrick structure, but is instantly available for use and is readily accessible from the inside of the derrick, thereby retaining all of the advantages provide an improved derrick having such means for racking tubing and other material, whereby the derrick floor remains unobstructed, and the derrick is freed of distorting stresses, thus allowing the derrick to be constructed with a smaller base area which materially reduces the'initial cost of said derrick.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be'more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a derrick, constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the open side of the derrick,

Figure 2 is an elevation, taken at right angles to Figure 1, showing the derrick in an .upright position,

Application November 20, 1939, Serial No. 305,265 I Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the'derrick in a partially raised position, and

Figure 4 is a'horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1,- showing the tubing racking means constructed in accordance with this invention.

In the drawings, the numeral l0 designates .a base or support upon which the derrick legs are ,mounted. The base [0 is formed of a pair of elongate skids .ll whichare substantially H- shaped in cross-section and are designed to rest parallel to each other upon the surface of the ground in a horizontal position. A plurality'of transverse elongate cross-members l2 have their extremities Welded or otherwise suitably fastened .to they sides of the skids, thereby spacing said skids from one another and forming a'rigid rectangular base for the derrick 'to rest upon. The forward ends [3 of the skids are curved upwardly so as to eliminate the possibility of said skids catching upon some obstruction as the base I0 is moved about over the surface of the ground. This construction allows the base Hi to be moved about, readily, and located at the point at which it is desired to place the derrick. An upright member i4 is rigidly mounted in a vertical position upon the upper surface of each skid II at a point spaced some distance b ackwardly from the forward end 13 thereof. A similar-- elongate upright support l5 is-rigidly mounted upon'ithe upper surface of each skid at a point spaced a short distance from the uprightmember l4 and on the back side thereof, and has its longitudinal vertical axis inclined-slightly toward said mem ber l4. A horizontal member l6 joins and is securely fastened to the upper ends of member l4 and support l5, thereby forming a platform H upon which one of the rearward derricklegs l8 may rest. It is pointed out that each of the skids I I is provided with a platform l'l so that the two rearward legs l8 of the derrick may rest thereupon. A suitable flangedplate i9 may be provided at the lower extremity of each leg 3 to serve as a bearing plate upon which the leg rests.

Theforward legs 20 of the derrick are preferably constructed of I-beams, although any suitable type of beam may be used. A pivot plate 2| is fastened by rivets or other means at'each side of the lower extremity of each forward leg 20 so as to project a short distance downwardly beyond said extremities. Transverse openings 22 are provided in the lower portion of each of the pivot plates 2|, and are in horizontal alinement with each other and with transverse openings 23 formed in the forward ends of the skids the usual manner, being fastened together and reenforced by the usual transverse cross-members 25 and diagonal bracing members 26. The der-. rick legs l8 are constructed with upper sections I81: and lower sections [8b, which sections are co-axial and are so situated as to have the lower extremity of'the upper section laa abutting the upper extremity of the lower section "lb." The abuttingends'are joined together by plates 21 which are riveted or bolted to the end of each section, thereby. securely fastening the two sec-- tions together and providing a substantially continuous column or leg for the derrick. The legs 20 are similarly formed of upper sections 20a and lower sections 20b, which are secured together by plates 28. When the derrick is originally constructed, it is made with the upper and lower portions separate from one another, but with the cross-members25 and bracing members 26 secured in positionlso that they may be easily transported from place to place. When it is desired'to erect the derrick, the two sections are joined by the plates 21' and 28 while the sections are in a horizontal position upon the surface of theground. This joining provides a complete derrick which may then be raised to a vertical position by the method hereinafter disclosed.

A pin pole 29, composed of a plurality of coextensive, elongate, longitudinal members 30 joined together by cross-members 3|, is pivotally mounted imon the upper and rearward portion of the platform 11 by a transverse pin 32. The upper extremity of the gin pole is provided with an eye bolt or other guiding member 33 through which a cable or wire line 34 is threaded. The guiding'member 33 doesnot grip or clamp the wire line but serves merely tohold said line in engagement withthe upper extremity of the gin pole 29. One end of the wire line is securedto the extreme upper end of the derrick, while the other end is secured to a suitabledraw works (not shown).

When it is desired to erect the derrick, the base I is placed on the desired location, and the upper and lower sections of the derrick are joined together. Thepivot plates 2| are then engaged by the pins 24, and the wire line 34 is-secured to the upper portion of the derrick. Then by the aid of the gin pole 29 and the draw works (not shown) the derrick may be raised to an upright position in the manner shown in Figure 3. The derrick is then ready for use, and may be dismantled, whenever desired, by the same proce-' dure.

As shown in Figure I and Figure 4, there legs 20 up to a point substantially above the lower extremities of the upper sections 20a, whereby the front panel of the derrick is unobstructed and from each leg 20 and are secured thereto: Short channel beams 31 extend forwardly and hori- T\ are no cross-members between the forward derrick beams 36 and form the end of the racking member. An elongate, horizontal channel 38 extends transversely so as to Join the outer ends of the two beams 31, and form the forward side of the racking member. The Joints between the beams 36 and the beams 31 may be riveted or welded or otherwise fastened, and are reenforced by short, vertical, angle bars 39 that enclose the outer surface of said'joints, as is shown in Figure 4. The joints between the beams 31 and the beam 38 are similarly reenforced by angle bars 40.

A platform 4| projects horizontally. and forwardly of the channel beam 38, and is rigidly secured thereto. The platform 4| extends from a point spaced a short distance from one end of the beam'38, throughout the length of the beam to a point spaced a short distance inwardly fromthe other end of said beam. The platform is of suflicient width as to allow aperson to stand thereupon, and may, if desired, have its lateral extremities cut at an angle with respect to the beam 38, whereby the inner side of said platform is of greater length than the outer' side thereof. A horizontal auxiliary platform 42 is mounted upon a plurality of hinges 43 so as to project in a horizontal plane from the rear of the beam 38 toward the derrick proper. The hinges 43 serve to hold the auxiliary platform 42 in a horizontal position, and at the same time allow said plat- 30 form to be swung upwardly and outwardly away from the derrickso as to rest in a substantially flat position upon the upper surface of the platform 4|. In this manner the platform 42 may be swung out of the way until it is needed, at which time it may be swung into position to allow the operator to stand in a position closer to the center of the derrick.

When it becomes desirable to stack drill pipe or drill collars temporarily within the racking member 35, said pipe may be placed so as to have its lower end resting upon' the surfacefof the ground, while its upper end is retained within the enclosure formed by the beams 36, 31; and 38. The pipe may be inclined so as to lean or 45 rest against the end beams 31. In this manner, pipe may be stacked at both ends of the racking member so .thatthe majority ofthe weight of the pipe is directed upon the surface of the ground. Substantially all of the stress placed upon the derrick and the racking member by the weight of the pipe will be resolved into forces acting outwardly and horizontally upon the end beams 31. This stress will be borne as a tensile stress by the channel beam 38 and by'the front panel of the derrick between the two forward legs 20. Thus, substantially no bending or defleeting stresses are placed upon the derrick struc ture proper.

The construction of this racking member is very important, since it eliminates many of the destructive and distorting stresses and strains that have heretofore been placed upon the derrick. In addition, the racking member, in conjunction with the openfront panel of the derrick, allows the operator to have the derrick floor clear and unobstructed, and allows the drill pipe to be easily. racked and handled. In its entirety, the derrick is simple to erect, easily moved about from location to location, and very eflicient to operate. Various changes, alterations, and modifications may be made in the size, shape, and arrangement of the herein described elements, within the scope ,zontally from the extreme lateral ends of the 75, of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A derrick including, a base member, a mast vertically supported-upon said base member, and a pipe racking member mounted on one side of said mast, said side of said mast being free of cross bracing up to the level of said'racking member said pipe racking member being reccross bracing up to the level of said pipe racking member, said member projecting laterally beyond the sides of the mast which are adjacent to the side upon which the member is mounted, said pipe racking member being rectangular in shape and having its longitudinal axis extending transversely of the mast and outside of the mast,

' said member being formed with closed sides tangular in shape and having its longitudinal I axis extending transversely of the mast and projecting beyond the margins of the mast, said member being formed with closed sides whereby pipe may be moved from the interior of the mast into the member and is prevented from moving away from the mast by the closed sides of the member.

2. In a derrick having the usual base member and a mast support extending vertically from said base member, pipe racking means mounted on one side of the mast so as to be situated outside of the mast said means projecting laterally beyond the sides of the mast which are adjacent pipe racking member mounted on one side of said mast, said side'of said mast being free of whereby pipe may be moved from the interior of the mast into the member and is prevented from moving away from the mast by the closed sides of the member,and a platform secured to one side of said pipe racking means andextending substantially throughout the length of that. side of the means.

4. A derrick including, a base member, 'a mast vertically supported upon said base member, said mast having a portion of one of its sides free of cross-members, and pipe racking means 1 mounted on that side of said mast which is free of cross-members said means extendinglaterally beyond each side of the mast which is adjacent to the side upon which the rack is mounted, said pipe racking means being situated outside of the mast whereby pipe maybe racked on the outside of the derrick and the derrick floor left unobstructed, said means also having'closed sides whereby the upper ends of the pipe are held against lateral movement in any direction except toward the interior of the mast, a'platform secured to one side of the pipe racking means, and I a second platform hinged to one side of said means whereby said platform may be swung into an operative position when desired or may be swung into an inoperative position.-

RONALD HERMON snow. 

